Interactive display case

ABSTRACT

An interactive display case having a first frame, a plurality of storage areas within the first frame, a second frame, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to detect an object passing through the interior of the second frame, identify an area within the interior of the second frame in which the object passes, where the area corresponding to one of the storage areas, and generate interaction data corresponding to the identified area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/367,032, filed Jul. 26, 2016, and is herein incorporated by referencein its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

In stores, numerous products are displayed on shelves, in glass cases,on peg boards, etc. Consumers typically enter a retail store and browsethe selection of products shown on the display cases. Some productsinclude their own packaging having additional information about theproducts, but even that information is limited to the size of theproduct package. Further, this information may not be fully up to dateas it was created before distribution of the product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An interactive display case having a first frame, a plurality of storageareas within the first frame, a second frame, and processing circuitry.The processing circuitry is configured to detect an object passingthrough the interior of the second frame, identify an area within theinterior of the second frame in which the object passes, where the areacorresponding to one of the storage areas, and generate interaction datacorresponding to the identified area.

Further described is a storage system, a multi-touch sensing frame andprocessing circuitry to execute special purpose software. Themulti-touch sensing frame detects when a hand passes through and outputscoordinates for the hand's location. These coordinates are processed bythe circuitry with respect to a digital representation of the storagesystem layout. Through a process of iteration over all storage areas,the processing circuitry determines and outputs interaction data basedon the coordinate data and digital representation, as well as the timethat the interaction took place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a first interactive display caseaccording to one example.

FIG. 1B is a front view of the first interactive display case accordingto one example.

FIG. 1C is a front view of an alternative arrangement of the firstinteractive display case according to one example.

FIG. 1D illustrates a sensing frame according to one example.

FIG. 2A is an isometric view of a second interactive display caseaccording to one example.

FIG. 2B is a front view of the second interactive display case accordingto one example.

FIG. 2C illustrates the second interactive display case according to oneexample.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a third interactive display caseaccording to one example.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a data processing system forcontrolling electronic features of the interactive display cases.

FIG. 5 illustrates architecture of the CPU illustrated in FIG. 4according to one example.

FIG. 6 illustrates various interconnected network elements used inconjunction with the invention according to one example.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart detailing functionality of theinteractive display cases according to one example.

FIG. 8 illustrates a user interaction with the interactive display caseaccording to one example.

FIG. 9 illustrates a first screen of a user interface associated withsoftware used to design a planogram layout according to one example.

FIG. 10 illustrates a second screen of a user interface associated withsoftware used to design a planogram layout according to one example.

FIG. 11 illustrates a third screen of a user interface associated withsoftware used to design a planogram layout according to one example.

FIG. 12 illustrates a fourth screen of a user interface associated withsoftware used to design a planogram layout according to one example.

FIG. 13 illustrates a screen of a user interface associated withsoftware used in conjunction with the invention showing data analyticscollected by the invention according to one example.

FIGS. 14-20 illustrate further exemplary views of the first interactivedisplay case.

FIGS. 21-27 illustrate further exemplary views of the second interactivedisplay case.

FIGS. 28-34 illustrate further exemplary views of the third interactivedisplay case according to one example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C illustrate an interactive display case 100, ordisplay case 100, according to one example. The display case 100includes a frame 101, storage units or storage areas 112 allocatedwithin the frame 101, a display device 114 and a sensing frame 109.

The frame 101 can be any type of shelving system, product display case,hanging product display case, temperature controlled display case, andany other type of container that can store and display products forconsumers to view as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in theart. The storage areas 112 can be distributed equally within the frame101 of the display case 100 or may be sized differently according to aplanogram layout of products within the display case 100.

The frame 101 includes a top panel 102, a bottom panel 104, a first sidepanel 106 and a second side panel 107. The frame 101 also includes aplurality of vertical panels 108 secured to the top panel 102 and bottompanel 104, and a plurality of horizontal panels 110 disposed between thevertical panels 108 and/or side panels 106, 107 and secured to thevertical panels 108 and/or side panels 106, 107. The top panel 102,bottom panel 104, side panels 106, 107, horizontal panels 110, andvertical panels 108 combine to form a plurality of storage areas 112. Inone example, the storage areas 112 can be designed to store one or moreproducts such as clothing or accessories. In some examples, the frame101 may include a rear wall 103 (see FIG. 16 which is a rear view of thedisplay case 100) to enclose the back of the plurality of storage areas112 in order to prevent products from falling out of the rear of theframe or to present a pleasing background behind the displayed products.In some aspects described herein, such as in FIG. 2C, the rear wall maybe the display device 114.

The horizontal panels 110 can be secured to the vertical panels 108and/or side panels 106, 107 using any method known in the art includingusing nails, screws, brackets, pins, adhesive, slot and grooves, and soforth. The horizontal panels 110 can be placed at any vertical heightalong the vertical panels 108 and/or side panels 106, 107 to createlarger or smaller storage areas 112 or to create storage areas 112 ofvarying size within a single frame 101. In other aspects, the frame 101may consist of only horizontal panels 110 that are connected to a rearwall. The number of horizontal panels 110 can be increased to createmore storage areas 112 or decreased to create fewer storage areas 112.

Alternatively, the frame 101 can be a hanging product display case. Thehanging product display case may not have horizontal panels 110 orvertical panels 110 disposed between the top panel 102, bottom panel104, and side panels 106,107. Instead, the hanging product display casemay include peg board and hooks to hang products on. Alternatively, theframe 101 can include a combination of horizontal and vertical panelsfor product storage and a peg board or other structures for hangingproducts.

The display device 114 is an electronic display unit connected toprocessing circuitry, such as that of a computer, which controls thedisplay device 114. The display device 114 is preferably a touch-sensingdisplay unit as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Alternatively, the frame 101 can include a single storage area 112formed by the inner surfaces of the top panel 102, bottom panel 104, andside panels 106, 107 or multiple unenclosed storage areas 112. The oneor more storage areas 112 may include pegs or hooks used to hangproducts on an inner surface of the top panel 104 and/or side panels106, 107, shelves connected to the rear wall of the frame 101 and/or theenclosed storage areas illustrated in FIG. 1A. Therefore, various typesof storage areas 112 are contemplated and can be arranged in a varietyof different combinations.

For example, FIG. 1C illustrates an interactive display case 100 havinga variety of different storage areas. In this example, the frame 101does not include any enclosed storage areas as illustrated in FIG. 1Abut rather includes shelved storage areas and pegs with hooks forholding various products. Therefore, the term storage area 112represents a particular location or area within the frame 101 thatstores a certain product. Thus, in this example, the frame 101 includesthree storage areas 112 that extend within X, Y and Z directions withinthe frame 101.

FIG. 1D illustrates the sensing frame 109 according to one example. Thesensing frame can be applied to the interactive display case 100 and beof varying size such as with interactive display cases 200, 300described further herein. The sensing frame 109 can be attached to afront portion of the frame 101 but behind the outermost front portion ofthe frame 101 thereby allowing the sensing frame 109 to remain hidden tothe user. Alternatively, the sensing frame could be affixed on theoutermost front portion of the frame 101. The sensing frame 109 includesan inner perimeter 116, an outer perimeter 115, a front surface 118, anda rear surface (not shown). The inner perimeter 116 corresponds to theinterior of the sensing frame 109. The sensing frame 109 includes one ormore sensors that allow the sensing frame 109 to detect a finger, handor object passing through the plane of the sensing frame 109 into one ofthe storage areas 112 or contacting the display device 114. The sensorcan be any kind of sensor including, but not limited to, IR, sonar,laser, passive IR, microwave, ultrasonic, vibration, image sensors, andso forth.

In one example, the sensing frame 109 is an IR sensing frame such as the“TouchFrame” produced by U-Touch USA Inc™. For this type of touch panel,infrared technology consists of infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs)and light sensors that are placed on the perimeter of the sensing frame109. LEDs transmit beams of light that run parallel to an assigned lightsensor to create a light grid. Any object that disrupts the light orreduces the light such as a finger or stylus will register as a touchand the sensors will distinguish coordinates within the sensing frame109 at which the object passed within the inner perimeter 116 of thesensing frame 109. Processing circuitry of the sensing frame 109 or aconnecting computer can then process this information as describedfurther herein to acquired data of the interaction and alter the contentdisplayed on the display device 114.

The outer perimeter 115 of the sensing frame 109 can be sized tocorrespond to the outer periphery of the frame 101 in order to give theoverall device an integrated appearance. However, in some examples, theouter perimeter 115 of the sensing frame 109 can be larger or smallerthan the outer periphery of the frame 101. If outer perimeter 115 of thesensing frame 109 is larger than the outer periphery of the frame 101,then the inner perimeter 116 of the sensing frame 109 is able to detectan object touching the front surface of the top panel 102, bottom panel104, or side panels 106, 107 of the frame 101. Conversely, if the outerperimeter 115 of the sensing frame 109 is smaller or within than theouter of the frame 101, then objects touching portions of the frame 101outside of the periphery of the sensing frame 109 will not be detectedby the sensing frame 109. These portions of the frame 101 can be used todisplay additional products that are not included in the planogramlayout or these portions can be used to store additional versions ofproducts included in the planogram such as products of different colors,sizes, materials, etc. Therefore, the size of the sensing frame 109 canvary based on objectives for a particular interactive display case,based on reuse between frames and as a way to save on cost.

In certain aspects, the sensing frame 109 is affixed to periphery of theframe 101 such that the entire front surface area of the plurality ofstorage areas 112 is within the inner perimeter 115 of the sensing frame109. Therefore, in one example, the outer 115 and inner perimeters 116of the sensing frame 109 match the outer and inner perimeter formed bythe front edges of the top 102, bottom 104, and side panels 106, 107 ofthe frame 101 so that the sensing frame 109 is flush with the outer andinner edge of the frame 101 and an object passing into any of thestorage areas 112 can be detected.

Therefore, the sensing frame 109 includes a zone of detection (notshown) where the sensing frame 109 sensors are designed to detectmovement within the zone of detection. This zone of detectioncorresponds to an area covered by the inner perimeter 116 of the sensingframe 109. The zone of detection is technically a three dimensionalzone, but the third dimension (thickness or depth) can be very small.Thus, the zone of detection can be substantially a two-dimensional planewithin the inner perimeter 116 of the sensing frame 109.

As discussed herein, if the sensing frame 109 detects an interruption oflight from the LEDs caused by an object within the zone of detection ofthe sensing frame 109, processing circuitry can detect the locationwithin the inner perimeter 116 based on the sensor information andidentify coordinates of this interaction. The sensing frame 109 can alsodetect and locate multiple objects passing through the zone of detectionat the same time.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show the display device 114 located at the center of theframe 101, but the display device 114 can be located anywhere on theframe 101 via rearrangement of the panels and thus a display device 114of any size can be used in the invention.

FIG. 1B shows the display device 114 abutting against the surfaces ofthe surrounding horizontal panels 110 and vertical panels 108 in orderto maximize the storage space available on the frame 101. In someaspects, there can be a gap between one or more outer edges of thedisplay device 114 and the surrounding horizontal panels 110 andvertical panels 108 in order to vent and cool the display device 114.Alternatively, the display device 114 can be left out of the interactivedisplay case 100 entirely and an additional storage area 112 can beutilized within this space. In the case where the display device 114 isleft out of the display case 100, the display device 114 could beattached separately from the interactive display case 100 to perform thefunctions herein or could be left out of the system entirely. In eithersituation, the display case 100 will continue to function as describedherein with respect to identifying interactions and storing datacorresponding to the interactions.

Additionally, FIG. 1A shows that the display device 114 is slightly setback from the front surfaces of the surrounding vertical panels 108 andhorizontal panels 110. This allows the sensing frame 109 to detect ahand, finger, or object moving past the plane of the sensing frame 109and toward the display device 114 so that this interaction can beprocessed as described further herein. Preferably, the set back is largeenough for the sensing frame 109 to detect that an object has movedentirely through the zone of detection, yet small enough that contactwith the display device 114 is a practical certainty once the finger,hand, or object has moved through the sensing frame's zone of detection.

This set-back configuration allows the processing circuitry to detectwhen a user is about to touch the display device 114. Detecting thisevent can trigger the processing circuitry can turn on the displaydevice's 114 touch capabilities, wake the display device 114 from ascreen saver or sleep mode, or cause the display device 114 to showtouch-selection options to the user. The event detection can alsoincrease the response time of the display device 114 by pre-emptivelywaking from sleep mode or some other power-saving mode. Further, datastatistics can be saved that indicate frequency of usage of the touchscreen and other data related to the touch interactions with the displaydevice 114. Similarly, display device 114 can send information withrespect to specific touch interactions to the processing circuitry fordata analysis and storage.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate a second interactive display case 200,or display case 200, according to one example. The interactive displaycase 200 includes a frame 201, sensing frame 209, and display device214. Further, the interactive display case 200 includes temperaturecontrol unit 216, such as a cooler having vents as would be understoodby one of ordinary skill in the art, configured to maintain a selectedtemperature of the interactive display case 200. Further, theinteractive display case 200 may include a closeable front door (notshown) that seals the interactive display case 200 to maintaintemperatures within the interactive display case 200.

The frame 201 includes a top panel 202, bottom panel 204, first sidepanel 106, and second side panel 207 which form the outer periphery ofthe frame. Not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B but illustrated in FIG. 2C is ahorizontal panel 210. Horizontal panels 210 are similar to thehorizontal panels 110 described above. The side panels 206, 207 includea plurality of holes 211 arranged in a vertical pattern and the holes211 are designed to receive shelf mounting hardware such as nails,screws, pegs, brackets, etc. The horizontal panels 210 are designed tobe mounted to the holes 211 using the shelf mounting hardware. Anynumber of panels 210 can be used in the interactive display case 200 andthe horizontal panels 210 can be placed at any height to create aplurality of storage areas 212.

As seen in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, the display device 214 is mounted to therear side of the frame 201 with the displaying surface of the displaydevice 214 visible through the front of the frame 201. Thisconfiguration allows products P3, P4 to be placed on horizontal panels210 with the display device 214 visible behind the products P3, P4. FIG.2C illustrates an example of products P3, P4 placed on horizontal panel210 in front of the display device 214. In this example, the displaydevice 214 displays content C related to the products P3, P4 in thedisplay case 200. The processing circuitry can control the displaydevice 214 to display products based on what is available within theinteractive product display 201 and/or based on interactions detected bythe sensing frame 209.

Therefore, like with the interactive display case 100, the display case200 includes a sensing frame 209 configured to detect a finger, hand, orobject passing through the sensing frame into a storage area 212 of theframe 201. Thus, the sensing frame 209 is also configured to detect thelocation of any object passing through the frame. The sensing frame 209can include any of the features described above and like description isomitted.

FIG. 3 shows a third interactive display case 300, or display case 300,according to one example. Interactive display case 300 is similar tointeractive display case 100 except that interactive display case 300illustrates a larger size interactive display case having a differentarrangement of storage areas 312 and display device 314. All othercomponents of the interactive display case 300 are substantially thesame as in the interactive display case 100 described above. Theindividual elements of interactive display case 300 are not described,but all reference numbers refer to similar components described abovewith respect to FIG. 1 and therefore like description is omitted.

In FIG. 3, it should be noted that the display device 314 is flush withthe front most portion of the panels 308, 310. This provides a moreintegrated look and feel to provide an advantageous presentation topotential customers. It can also make the interactive display case 300easier to construct.

As noted herein, each of interactive display cases 100, 200, and 300 isconnected to or includes processing circuitry of computer architectureconfigured to detect interaction with the interactive display cases 100,200, 300 via the sensing frame 109, 209, 309 and control the displaydevice 114, 214, 314 based on the interaction. Moreover, processingcircuitry configured to perform features described herein may beimplemented in multiple circuit units (e.g., chips), or the features maybe combined in circuitry on a single chipset, as shown on FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a data processing system 400,according to certain examples, for controlling the interactive productdisplay cases 100, 200, 300 as further described herein. The dataprocessing system is an example of a computer in which code orinstructions implementing the processes of the illustrative embodimentsmay be located.

In FIG. 4, data processing system 400 employs a hub architectureincluding a north bridge and memory controller hub (NB/MCH) 425 and asouth bridge and input/output (I/O) controller hub (SB/ICH) 420. Thecentral processing unit (CPU) 430 is connected to NB/MCH 425. The NB/MCH425 also connects to the memory 445 via a memory bus, and connects tothe graphics processor 450 via an accelerated graphics port (AGP). TheNB/MCH 425 also connects to the SB/ICH 420 via an internal bus (e.g., aunified media interface or a direct media interface). The CPU Processingunit 430 may contain one or more processors and even may be implementedusing one or more heterogeneous processor systems.

For example, FIG. 5 shows one implementation of CPU 530. In oneimplementation, the instruction register 538 retrieves instructions fromthe fast memory 540. At least part of these instructions are fetchedfrom the instruction register 538 by the control logic 536 andinterpreted according to the instruction set architecture of the CPU430. Part of the instructions can also be directed to the register 532.In one implementation the instructions are decoded according to ahardwired method, and in another implementation the instructions aredecoded according a microprogram that translates instructions into setsof CPU configuration signals that are applied sequentially over multipleclock pulses. After fetching and decoding the instructions, theinstructions are executed using the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 534 thatloads values from the register 532 and performs logical and mathematicaloperations on the loaded values according to the instructions. Theresults from these operations can be feedback into the register and/orstored in the fast memory 540. According to certain implementations, theinstruction set architecture of the CPU 430 can use a reducedinstruction set architecture, a complex instruction set architecture, avector processor architecture, a very large instruction wordarchitecture. Furthermore, the CPU 430 can be based on the Von Neumanmodel or the Harvard model. The CPU 530 can be a digital signalprocessor, an FPGA, an ASIC, a PLA, a PLD, or a CPLD. Further, the CPU430 can be an x86 processor by Intel or by AMD; an ARM processor, aPower architecture processor by, e.g., IBM; a SPARC architectureprocessor by Sun Microsystems or by Oracle; or other known CPUarchitecture.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the data processing system 400 can includethat the SB/ICH 420 is coupled through a system bus to an I/O Bus, aread only memory (ROM) Y56, universal serial bus (USB) port 464, a flashbinary input/output system (BIOS) 468, and a graphics controller 458.PCI/PCIe devices can also be coupled to SB/ICH YYY through a PCI bus462.

The PCI devices may include, for example, Ethernet adapters, add-incards, and PC cards for notebook computers. The Hard disk drive 460 andCD-ROM 466 can use, for example, an integrated drive electronics (IDE)or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) interface. In oneimplementation the I/O bus can include a super I/O (SIO) device.

Further, the hard disk drive (HDD) 460 and optical drive 466 can also becoupled to the SB/ICH 420 through a system bus. In one implementation, akeyboard 470, a mouse 472, a parallel port 478, and a serial port 476can be connected to the system bust through the I/O bus. Otherperipherals and devices that can be connected to the SB/ICH 420 using amass storage controller such as SATA or PATA, an Ethernet port, an ISAbus, a LPC bridge, SMBus, a DMA controller, and an Audio Codec.

Moreover, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific circuitelements described herein, nor is the present disclosure limited to thespecific sizing and classification of these elements. For example, theskilled artisan will appreciate that the circuitry described herein maybe adapted based on changes on battery sizing and chemistry, or based onthe requirements of the intended back-up load to be powered.

The functions and features described herein may also be executed byvarious distributed components of a system. For example, one or moreprocessors may execute these system functions, wherein the processorsare distributed across multiple components communicating in a network.The distributed components may include one or more client and servermachines, which may share processing, as shown on FIG. 6, in addition tovarious human interface and communication devices (e.g., displaymonitors, smart phones, tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs)).The network may be a private network, such as a LAN or WAN, or may be apublic network, such as the Internet. Input to the system may bereceived via direct user input and received remotely either in real-timeor as a batch process. Additionally, some implementations may beperformed on modules or hardware not identical to those described.Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope that may beclaimed.

FIG. 6 shows an example of cloud computing, having various devicesinterconnected to each other via a network and cloud infrastructures.For example, a smart phone 614 connecting to a mobile network service620 through a satellite connection 652 can connect to the interactivedisplay case 100 via the mobile network services 620 and the fixedterminal 616 connected to or included in the interactive display case100. Similarly, FIG. 6 shows a PDS 612 and a cellular phone 614connected to the mobile network service 620 through a wireless accesspoint 654, such as a femto cell or Wi-Fi network. Further, FIG. 6 showsthe data processing system 400 connected to the mobile network service620 through a wireless channel using a base station 656, such as anEdge, 3G, 4G, or LTE Network, for example. Various other permutations ofcommunications between the types of devices and the mobile networkservice 620 are also possible, as would be understood to one of ordinaryskill in the art. The various types of devices, such as the cellularphone 614, tablet computer 616, or a desktop computer, can also accessthe network 640 and the cloud 630 through a fixed/wired connection, suchas through a USB connection to a desktop or laptop computer orworkstation that is connected to the network 640 via a networkcontroller, such as an Intel Ethernet PRO network interface card fromIntel Corporation of America, for interfacing with a network.

Signals from the wireless interfaces (e.g., the base station 656, thewireless access point 654, and the satellite connection 652) aretransmitted to and from the mobile network service 620, such as anEnodeB and radio network controller, UMTS, or HSDPA/HSUPA. Requests frommobile users and their corresponding information as well as informationbeing sent to users is transmitted to central processors 622 that areconnected to servers 624 providing mobile network services, for example.Further, mobile network operators can provide services to the varioustypes of devices. For example, these services can includeauthentication, authorization, and accounting based on home agent andsubscribers' data stored in databases 626, for example. The subscribers'requests can be delivered to the cloud 630 through a network 640.

As can be appreciated, the network 640 can be a public network, such asthe Internet, or a private network such as an LAN or WAN network, or anycombination thereof and can also include PSTN or ISDN sub-networks. Thenetwork 640 can also be a wired network, such as an Ethernet network, orcan be a wireless network such as a cellular network including EDGE, 3Gand 4G wireless cellular systems. The wireless network can also beWi-Fi, Bluetooth, or any other wireless form of a communication that isknown.

The various types of devices can each connect via the network 640 to thecloud 630, receive inputs from the cloud 630 and transmit data to thecloud 630. In the cloud 630, a cloud controller 636 processes a requestto provide users with corresponding cloud services. These cloud servicesare provided using concepts of utility computing, virtualization, andservice-oriented architecture. For example, data from the system 400such as statistical data with respect to user interactions with theinteractive display case 100, 200, 300 can be sent via the network 640to the cloud 630 for storage in data storage 638, processing by the datacenter 634 and later retrieval. Data from the cloud 630 can be accessedby the system 400 based on user interaction and pushed to user devices610, 612, and 614.

The cloud 630 can be accessed via a user interface such as a securegateway 632. The secure gateway 632 can, for example, provide securitypolicy enforcement points placed between cloud service consumers andcloud service providers to interject enterprise security policies as thecloud-based resources are accessed. Further, the secure gateway 632 canconsolidate multiple types of security policy enforcement, including,for example, authentication, single sign-on, authorization, securitytoken mapping, encryption, tokenization, logging, alerting, and APIcontrol. The cloud 630 can provide, to users, computational resourcesusing a system of virtualization, wherein processing and memoryrequirements can be dynamically allocated and dispersed among acombination of processors and memories such that the provisioning ofcomputational resources is hidden from the users and making theprovisioning appear seamless as though performed on a single machine.Thus, a virtual machine is created that dynamically allocates resourcesand is therefore more efficient at utilizing available resources. Asystem of virtualization using virtual machines creates an appearance ofusing a single seamless computer even though multiple computationalresources and memories can be utilized according increases or decreasesin demand. The virtual machines can be achieved using a provisioningtool 640 that prepares and equips the cloud-based resources such as aprocessing center 634 and data storage 638 to provide services to theusers of the cloud 630. The processing center 634 can be a computercluster, a data center, a main frame computer, or a server farm. Theprocessing center 634 and data storage 638 can also be collocated.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart detailing functionality of theinteractive display cases 100, 200, 300 according to one example. Forsimplicity sake, a description of FIG. 7 will be with respect to theinteractive display case 100 but a similar description would apply forinteractive display cases 200 and 300. At step S700, the processingcircuitry or CPU 430 of the system 400 generates a planogram layout ofproducts that will be stored or placed in the storage areas 112 of theinteractive display case 100. This planogram maps products within theinteractive display case 100 to various coordinates within the interiorperimeter 116 of the sensing frame 109. These coordinates correspond tothe various storage areas 112 of the frame 101. This planogram layout isthen saved into the memory of the system 400 and/or cloud 630 for laterretrieval and analysis by the system 400. The planogram layout can begenerated/updated at the system 400 itself or remotely via network 640.Thus, updated planogram layouts may be received locally at the system400 or remotely via cloud 630. The planogram could also be generatedbased on inputs received by the system 400 via the sensing frame 109. Assuch, a user could interact with each storage area 112 within the frame101 for which products are stored and for each interaction the sensingframe 109 could detect corresponding coordinates. These coordinates bythemselves or with a multiplier can then be used by the system 400 togenerate the planogram layout of the frame 101 having the detectedstorage areas 112. Alternatively, a user could trace the perimeter ofeach storage area 112 by using their finger and having the system 400identify this perimeter and update the planogram based on data from thesensing frame 109.

At step S702, the sensing frame 109 detects whether or not there is aninteraction of an object with the sensing frame 109. In other words, thesensors of the sensing frame 109 determine whether or not an object haspassed through an interior perimeter of the sensing frame 109. If nointeraction is detected at step S702, the system 400 will take no actionother than to continue to poll for future interactions. If aninteraction is detected at step S702, the process proceeds to step S704to determine if more than one object is detected for the interaction.

If only one object is detected (i.e. the sensors of the sensing frame109 only detect the interruption of the LEDs at one location within theinner perimeter 109), the system 400 proceeds to step S706 to match thelocation at which the object was detected to the planogram layout. Inthis case, at step S708, the system 400 analyzes the coordinates of thedetected object within the inner perimeter 116 based on the sensorreadings and maps this location to the planogram layout to identifywhich product a user may be interested in within a specific storage area112. It is possible that the coordinates of the detected object canoverlap with more than one storage area 112. In this case, the system400 can identify which storage area 112 the user intended based on oneor more factors. The factors can include a determination of which areacontains the largest portion of the object passing through the interiorof the sensing frame 109, 209, 309. Other factors can include pastinteractions of the user stored on the cloud 630 or within apredetermined period of time of interaction as well as information as towhether the storage area 112 contains a product or not. Using one ormore of these factors, the processing circuitry identifies a singlestorage area 112 corresponding to the object interaction. Alternatively,the system 400 may detect multiple storage areas 112 for furtherprocessing. Also, at this time, the system 400 records the time ofinteraction along with the identified storage area(s) 112 and product(s)corresponding to the storage area(s) 112.

Once the system 400 identifies this information and based on the numberof storage areas 112 identified, the system 400 can cause the displaydevice 114 to display the product on the display device 114 whichrepresents the location of the interaction within the inner perimeter116 of the sensing frame 109 and corresponds to the planogram coordinatemapping of the storage areas 112 stored in memory. Thus, at step S710,the system 400 causes the display device 114 to display productinformation relating to the product the user was interested in viapointing to the product through the sensing frame 109 or actuallyinteracting with the product by passing their hand or another objectthrough the sensing frame 109. If the product is no longer available inthe storage area 112 as noted by the system 400 via an updated planogrammapping and/or a weighting sensor located in the storage area, thesystem 400 may provide information to the user about products relatingto a product that was previously displayed in the particular storagearea 112 of interest. Further, if the interaction is very brief and lessthan a predetermined period of time as detected by the sensors 109, thesystem 400 can determine not to display any information on the displaydevice 114 with respect to the detected location and planogram-mappedstorage area 112.

It is worth noting that the planogram layout can map products to theplurality of storage areas 112 and that this mapping is based oncoordinates within the frame 101 of the interactive display case 100.Thus, in the case where the display case 100, 200, 300 has productshanging on pegs and/or singular shelves within the frame such as in FIG.1C, the planogram layout can map those areas the same as previouslydiscussed herein to a particular set of coordinates or area within thesensing frame 109. In other words, the storage area 112 can be an areain which a product is hanging from a peg or hook such that the storagearea 112 represents the area within the frame 101 in which a pluralityof coordinates of that area are mapped to the planogram to represent thelocation of one or more products. Further, the planogram can be updatedin real-time based on interactions with the display case 100. Forexample, products detected as being taken out of the frame 101 can beused to generate inventory data. Further, products being placed backinto the frame can be identified to generate the data described below orto identify if they are placed in a different spot. This could be doneby using RFID tags on the clothing to track these exchanges and/or usingweight sensors within the frame 101 in conjunction with the system 400.

At step S712, the system 400 generates data and time information of theinteraction and records the date and time of the interaction in memoryof the system 400 and/or memory in the cloud 630. For example, theamount of interactions with particular storage areas 112 and thusparticular products can be saved to memory to provide statistical datato retailers. Data with respect to how long the interaction took placecan also be saved to provide information as to customer interest levels.Further, information about products that are interacted with and sensedby the sensing frame 109 can cause the system 400 to provide thecustomer with information relating to these products in addition tovisual information via the display device 114. For example, the system400 can push this information to user devices 610, 612, 614 via thenetwork 640 and mobile network services 620. Alternatively, the user mayinteract with the display device 114 via touch, voice or any othermethod to seek information about the product or related products.Examples of such data are included in FIGS. 12 and 13. The data can alsoinclude interactions with the display device 114. All of this data canbe saved locally at the system 400 or transmitted by the system 400 tothe cloud 630 via network 640 for remote storage at data storage 638 andanalysis by processing center 634.

Further, it should be noted here that if the interactive display case100, 200, 300 does not include a display device 114, 214, 314, theabove-noted processing is the same except that step S710 is omitted.Also, it should be noted that Steps S710 and S712 can be reversed suchthat interaction data can be generated and stored before anything isdisplayed on the display device.

Referring back to step S704, if more than one object is detected passingthrough the sensing frame 109, the system similarly proceeds at stepS708 to map the detected coordinates of the interaction within the innerperimeter 116 of the sensing frame 109 to the mapped planogram toidentify a plurality of products that the user may be interested inwhich are located in correspondingly located storage areas 112. Thesystem 400 then at step S710 causes at least one of these objects to bedisplayed on the display device 114. In one example, the system 400 maycause both products to be display on the display device 114. However,this can vary based on a variety of factors. For example, the system 400may identify that one interaction with the frame 101 only lasted for aminimum predetermined period of time such that the system 400 willignore this interaction. Alternatively, the system 400 may know that theproduct in a particular storage area 112 is no longer there based on anupdated planogram mapping and/or a weighting sensor built into thestorage areas 112. In this instance, the system 400 would not cause thisparticular object to be displayed. Further, the system 400 may displayboth products but display one with more prominence based on historicalinformation with respect to a specific user. This information can bestored on the system 400 or cloud 630 based on previous interactions bythe user. The user can be identified by the system 400 polling userdevices 610, 612 and 614 via the network 630 and mobile network services620.

FIG. 8 provides an example of an interaction of a user with theinteractive display case 100 according to one example. In this example,the user has passed his hand H within the inner perimeter 116 of thesensing frame 109 to touch a product P1. The sensors of the sensingframe 109 detect this interaction and provide the system 400 withcoordinates of the interaction. The system 400 processes thesecoordinates and maps them to a corresponding storage area 112 based onthe planogram mapping. Based on this interaction, the system 400 thencauses the display device to change the current display to displaycontent C1 related to the product P1. In this case, the user interactedwith a box having information related to a particular meal. Therefore,the user merely by having an interaction with the box can discoveradditional information about the product via the display device 114. Forinstance, the display device 114 can identify the price, contents andother advertising material with respect to the produce P1. The displaydevice 114 could also show the interior materials within the box therebypreventing the user from having to open the box and providing retailersand distributors with enhanced product security and durability. If theuser then moved his hand H to another storage area 112 and passed hishand H through the interior perimeter 116 of the sensing frame 109, thesystem 400 would then process the detected coordinates, map them to themapped planogram and cause the display device to display differentinformation with respect to the newly selected product.

Further, if a second object is detected by the sensing frame 109 while afirst content is being displayed on the display device 114 the system400 can control the display device 114 to continue showing the firstcontent and queue the content related to the second product; stopshowing the first content and show only the content related to thesecond product; continue showing the first content and show the secondcontent in split screen or a separate window; and/or depending on whichproduct is touched, the system 400 can disregard detection of the secondobject and not cause any additional content to be displayed. The ownercan specify any of these actions using the planogram layout softwarediscussed further below.

Additionally, the interactive display case 100 can include a sensor (notshown) configured to detect when a consumer is present in the area infront of the interactive display case 100, 200, 300. If the sensordetects that a consumer is no longer in front of the interactive displaycase 100, 200, 300, the processing circuitry can control the displaydevice 114, 214, 314 to return to a stand-by screen. Further, byincluding a sensor configured to detect when a consumer is present inthe area in front of the interactive display case 100, 200, 300,accidental product touching caused by wind, shopping carts, or otherobjects can be detected and will not cause product content to bedisplayed on the display device 114, 214, 314. For example, if noconsumer is present in front of the display device 114, 214, 314 andstray shopping cart bumps into a product on the interactive display case100, 200, 300, the processing circuitry will ignore the sensor's objectdetection and not display product content.

FIG. 9 shows one interface to planogram software according to oneexample. The software may be executed by the system 400 and provide theuser with an interface with respect to planogram generation. This screenshows access to a list of all the designs 45 that have been uploaded bya client currently logged in. The user may upload a new planogram to thesystem or may perform other actions 46 on the uploaded planogram, suchas deleting a planogram or viewing its analytics and/or redesigning thelayout of the planogram with respect to different interactive displaycases.

FIG. 10 shows another interface to the planogram software according toone example. The screen shows data associated with a given planogram andallows the user to edit it. Specifically, it shows the planogram name52, the name of the layout file 53 and the name of style file 54. Italso allows the user to edit any number of parameters or fields 55 inthe given planogram layout. Once changes are made, the user may save 50or duplicate 51 the planogram layout. This information can then bedisplayed on the display device 114 when a user interacts with a storagearea 114 having the product related to the specific parameters.

FIG. 11 shows a third interface to the planogram layout softwareaccording to one example. This screen allows the logged-in user to seeall the in-store display units by store location 63. It also enables theuser to create a new store location 60 and to perform actions upon thatstore display 61. One major feature of this screen is that it allows theuser to assign a given planogram layout 64 to a specific store. The usermay also group stores together and then assign the group a givenplanogram layout all at once. Once this assignment is made, the in-storedisplay will automatically download and switch over to the new planogramlayout.

FIG. 12 shows a fourth interface to the planogram layout softwareaccording to one example. This screen displays the monitoring system. Itallows a logged-in user to view all data associated with a giveninteractive display case. In particular, one may access the analytics 71for an interactive display case. The user may also assign the planogramlayout for the interactive display case 72. The screen also shows thecurrent state of the interactive display case, including the state ofthe software and the timing of various system events. The screen alsoallows the user to see live video 74 from a sensor in the display deviceso they can view the current state of the interactive display case. Theuser may also save 70 any changes they make to the display settings onthis screen. The above-noted information may be stored on the system 400or can be accessed on the cloud 630 via the network 640.

FIG. 13 shows a fifth interface to the planogram layout softwareaccording to one example. This screen displays the analytics dataassociated with a given interactive display case. The user may select aplanogram layout 80 and then choose a store 81 where that planogramlayout is active. They may also choose to view the results of a givenplanogram layout across multiple stores. The user may set the timing 82for the duration of analytics data that they would like to view. Uponmaking the choices above, the logged-in user will be presented with agraph 83 or other visualizations showing analytics data, including dataabout how often a given product is touched and how often a given buttonis touched. The user may also export 84 this data for viewing in andprocessing by another software application.

FIGS. 14-34 illustrate the interactive display cases 100, 200, 300 withproducts P1, P2, P3, etc. and content C1, C2, C3, etc. related to theproducts displayed on the display devices 114, 214, 314. For example,FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate the interactive display case 100 in which twoproducts P1 and P2 are located in storage areas 112 but product P1 hasbeen interacted with and is thus displayed as content C1 on displaydevice 114. This is similar to FIGS. 21 and 22 showing products P3 andP4 but product P3 being displayed as content C on display device 214based on product interaction with product P3. FIGS. 28 and 29 similarlyillustrate products P5 and P6 with the display device 314 displayingproduct P6 as content C6 based on interaction with product P6. FIGS.14-34 also illustrate various views of each interactive display casefrom the front, back, bottom, top and sides all of which have beendescribed herein and thus further description is omitted.

The combination of features described above provides a more advancedinteractive display case which is not inhibited by requiringimage-capture sensors, a clear line of sight to the products, or anyother deficiency in the prior art. Further, the interactive displaycases having the sensing frame provide an integrated unit that ischeaper to manufacture, easier to assemble and takes less retail space.This makes it cheaper for owners to implement the interactive displaycase in stores while also making it easier for retailers to accept thesetup. Further, the sleek look and design of the interactive displaycases naturally attracts customers who want to interact with the displaycase and learn more about potential product. This leads to additionalsales and brand recognition. Further, the statistical data affordscompanies and retailers with highly coveted user data so that futureproducts, planogram layouts and product distribution can be specificallytargeted to increase sales. This data was not easily obtainable in thepast as it was difficult to capture in-store interactions with products.Receipt data may provide some insight as to likes and dislikes but thisdoes not fully capture all shopping information based on what productsusers may have interacted with but not purchased. This additional datacan be combined with purchase data to generate useful metrics and targetdata for consumers.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is thereforeto be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein.

Exemplary implementations include:

-   -   A. A display case comprising:    -   a first frame;    -   a plurality of storage areas within the first frame;    -   a second frame; and    -   processing circuitry configured to        -   detect an object passing through the interior of the second            frame,        -   identify an area within the interior of the second frame in            which the object passes, the area corresponding to one of            the storage areas, and        -   generate interaction data corresponding to the identified            area.    -   B. The display case of Claim A, wherein the frame further        includes:    -   a top panel,    -   a bottom panel opposed to the top panel,    -   a first side panel secured to the top panel and bottom panel,    -   a second side panel, opposed to the first side panel, and        secured to the top panel and bottom panel,    -   at least one horizontal panel, and    -   at least one vertical panel,    -   wherein the top panel, bottom panel, side panels, at least one        horizontal panel, and at least one vertical panel combine to        form the plurality of storage areas therebetween.    -   C. The display case of Claim A, wherein at least one of the        plurality of storage areas extend along a width of the frame.    -   D. The display case of Claim A, wherein    -   the second frame includes sensors configured to detect an        interaction within the interior of the second frame, and    -   the processing circuitry detects the object passing through the        interior of the second frame and identifies the area based on        data from the sensors.    -   E. The display case of Claim A, further comprising:    -   memory configured to store layout information corresponding to        the plurality of storage areas,    -   wherein the processing circuitry generates the interaction data        as a function of layout information corresponding to the        identified area.    -   F. The display case of Claim E, further comprising:    -   an interface,    -   wherein the processing circuitry receives updated layout        information via the interface.    -   G. The interactive display case of Claim F, wherein the        interface is a network interface.    -   H. The display case of Claim A, wherein the processing circuitry        is further configured to transmit the interaction data to an        external device.    -   I. The display case of Claim A, wherein the processing circuitry        is further configured to transmit the interaction data to an        external device.    -   J. The interactive display case of Claim A, further comprising:    -   a display device affixed to the first frame,    -   wherein the processing circuitry controls the display device in        response to the detection of the object passing through the        interior of the second frame.    -   K. The display case of Claim J, further comprising:    -   memory configured to store layout information corresponding to        the plurality of storage areas,    -   wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to        control the display device to display content based on layout        information corresponding to the identified area.    -   L. The display case of Claim J, wherein the display device is        located at a rear side of the frame such that content displayed        on the display device is viewed through at least one of the        storage areas.    -   M. The display case of Claim E, wherein the layout information        includes information identifying at least one of the dimensions        of each storage area, an object stored within each storage area,        and object data of each product.    -   N. The display case of Claim A, wherein a size of the inner        perimeter of the second frame is the same size as the inner        perimeter of the first frame.    -   O. The display case of Claim A, wherein the second frame is        affixed to the first frame.    -   P. The display case of Claim A, further comprising:    -   memory,    -   wherein the processing circuitry is configured to store the        interaction data in the memory each time an object is detected        as passing through the interior of the second frame.    -   Q. The display case of claim O, wherein the processing circuitry        only stores the interaction data if the detected object passing        through the interior of the second frame is detected for a        predetermined period of time.    -   R. A method comprising:    -   detecting, via processing circuitry, an object passing through        the interior of a first frame of an interactive display case,    -   identifying, via the processing circuitry, an area within the        interior of the first frame in which the object passes, the area        corresponding to one of a plurality of storage areas within a        second frame of the interactive display case, and    -   generating, via the processing circuitry, interaction data        corresponding to the identified area.    -   S. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored        thereon computer-readable instructions which when executed by a        computer cause the computer to perform a method comprising:    -   detecting an object passing through the interior of a first        frame of an interactive display case,    -   identifying an area within the interior of the first frame in        which the object passes, the area corresponding to one of a        plurality of storage areas within a second frame of the        interactive display case, and    -   generating interaction data corresponding to the identified        area.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A display case comprising: a first frame; aplurality of storage areas within the first frame; a second frame havingone or more sensors configured to detect when one or more objects passthrough the second frame; and processing circuitry configured toidentify, based on data from the one or more sensors and in response toone or more objects passing through the second frame, one or more areaswithin the interior of the second frame in which the one or morerespective objects pass, the one or more areas corresponding to one ormore of the storage areas, generate interaction data corresponding tothe identified one or more areas, control a display device to displaycontent with respect to one or more of the identified one or more areas,and when the one or more sensors simultaneously detect at least twoobjects within the second frame, display content based on one or moreproperties specific to each object, wherein the one or more propertiesinclude at least one of an amount of time in which an object is detectedby the second frame, stored historical information with respect to anobject, and occupancy of the area in which an object passes.
 2. Thedisplay case of claim 1, wherein the first frame further includes: a toppanel, a bottom panel opposed to the top panel, a first side panelsecured to the top panel and bottom panel, a second side panel, opposedto the first side panel, and secured to the top panel and bottom panel,at least one horizontal panel, and at least one vertical panel, whereinthe top panel, bottom panel, side panels, at least one horizontal panel,and at least one vertical panel combine to form the plurality of storageareas therebetween.
 3. The display case of claim 1, wherein at least oneof the plurality of storage areas extend along a width of the frame. 4.The display case of claim 1, further comprising: memory configured tostore layout information corresponding to the plurality of storageareas, wherein the processing circuitry generates the interaction dataas a function of layout information corresponding to the one or moreidentified areas.
 5. The display case of claim 4, further comprising: aninterface, wherein the processing circuitry receives updated layoutinformation via the interface.
 6. The display case of claim 5, whereinthe interface is a network interface.
 7. The display case of claim 4,wherein the layout information includes information identifying at leastone of the dimensions of each storage area, an object stored within eachstorage area, and object data of each product.
 8. The display case ofclaim 1, wherein the processing circuitry generates updated layoutinformation as a function of areas identified within the interior of thesecond frame.
 9. The display case of claim 1, wherein the processingcircuitry is further configured to transmit the interaction data to anexternal device.
 10. The display case of claim 1, further comprising:memory configured to store layout information corresponding to theplurality of storage areas, wherein the processing circuitry is furtherconfigured to control the display device to display content based onlayout information corresponding to the one or more identified areas.11. The display case of claim 1, wherein the display device is locatedat a rear side of the frame such that content displayed on the displaydevice is viewed through at least one of the storage areas.
 12. Thedisplay case of claim 1, wherein a size of a perimeter of the secondframe is at least the size of a perimeter of the first frame, the firstframe having a perimeter equal to a perimeter of the display case. 13.The display case of claim 1, wherein the second frame is affixed withinthe first frame.
 14. The display case according to claim 13, wherein anentirety of the second frame is affixed within the first frame.
 15. Thedisplay case of claim 1, further comprising: memory, wherein theprocessing circuitry is configured to store the interaction data in thememory each time an object is detected as passing through the interiorof the second frame.
 16. The display case of claim 15, wherein theprocessing circuitry only stores the interaction data if the detectedobject passing through the interior of the second frame is detected fora predetermined period of time.
 17. A method comprising: detecting, viaone or more sensors included within a first frame of an interactivedisplay case, when one or more objects pass through the first frame ofthe interactive display case; identifying, via processing circuitrybased on data from the one or more sensors and in response to one ormore objects passing through the first frame, one or more areas withinthe interior of the first frame in which the one or more respectiveobjects pass, the one or more areas corresponding to one or more of aplurality of storage areas within a second frame of the interactivedisplay case; generating, via the processing circuitry, interaction datacorresponding to the identified area; and controlling a display deviceto display content with respect to one or more of the identified one ormore areas, and when the one or more sensors simultaneously detect atleast two objects within the second frame, display content based on oneor more properties specific to each object, wherein the one or moreproperties include at least one of an amount of time in which an objectis detected by the second frame, stored historical information withrespect to an object, and occupancy of the area in which an objectpasses.
 18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having storedthereon computer-readable instructions which when executed by a computercause the computer to perform a method comprising: detecting, via one ormore sensors included within a first frame of an interactive displaycase, when one or more objects pass through the first frame of theinteractive display case; identifying, based on data from the one ormore sensors and in response to one or more objects passing through thefirst frame, one or more areas within the interior of the first frame inwhich the one or more respective objects pass, the one or more areascorresponding to one or more of a plurality of storage areas within asecond frame of the interactive display case; generating interactiondata corresponding to the identified area; and controlling a displaydevice to display content with respect to one or more of the identifiedone or more areas, and when the one or more sensors simultaneouslydetect at least two objects within the second frame, display contentbased on one or more properties specific to each object, wherein the oneor more properties include at least one of an amount of time in which anobject is detected by the second frame, stored historical informationwith respect to an object, and occupancy of the area in which an objectpasses.